It was an incredible weekend up here in Minneapolis, MN. The blue sky and mid 60 degree weather was perfect for a long ride. I took a different approach though. Instead of a long ride, I took a little single speed ride with my son. Nothing like riding perfect fall single track with a 7 year old.

I rode my 25th Anniversary Limited Edition El Mariachi. I figured it was the perfect occassion. The El Mariachi is on my brain too since we are working on a new one. This bike gives a darn good baseline. Still one of my favorite bikes we've ever done.

In the end we rode several miles of dirt. I think it is amazing watching kids learn and develop. They learn so fast! By the end of the ride you could see his increased confidence and when the trail opened up, he decided to pick up the pace a bit.

Growing up as a Minnesota farm boy, I developed an appreciation and love for land and open space. This appreciation has fostered two passions, cycling and photography. Both of these passions provide freedom, encourage me to explore and foster creativity. More importantly though, my journey with a bike and a camera reminds me that the world is big and I am small.

As someone thinking about fatherhood as well as a bike purchase between the forthcoming Ala Carte or El Mariachi, this post has hit home on two levels. Thanks for sharing ... what a shot of hopefully a future proud rider of a 50th anniversary Limited Edition El Mariachi.